Bolster



Sept, 2, 194,1. v H. H. SHAFFE R BOLSTER #46 V15 Y H. SHAW/fl? IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Sept. 2, 1941. H..-H. SHAFFEJR- Filed Feb. 29, 1 940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m. m R m N EW m Fm T A A o Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENE QE'EFiQE Application February 29, 1940, Serial No. 321,580

4 Claims;

This invention relates to bolsters for railway rolling stock, the principal object being to provide a bolster having means whereby the car body can be adjusted without the use of shims, to obtain the required drawbar height, the means employed for this service being such as to enable the object to be accomplished more cheaply and in less time than by the operations heretofore employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. bolster equipped with means whereby excessive clearance or play between the bolster and the body of the car can be compensated for in a simple and efficient manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in, view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of con struction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In, the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a bolster equipped with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44', Figure 3, a portion of the adjustable center plate being shown in elevation within the bolster and. the remaining portion being removed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5-,

Figure 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a bolster. adapted to be produced in the usual way. This bolster, however, differs from the ordinary bolster in that there are provided adjustable bearings for engagement by the superposed body of the car. To accommodate one of these bearings the bolster is provided at its center with a substantially cylindrical recess 2 opening through the top of the bolster. Formed in the wall of recess 2 are several groups of parallel grooves all of which are perpendicular to the bottom of the recess. Each group, in the structure illustrated, includes four grooves 5, 6, I, and 8. All of the grooves are of the same transverse size and shape but the grooves of each group are of different lengths. Groove 5 extends from the top to the bottom of the recess. Groove 6 which is at one side thereof, terminates at a predetermined distance from the bottom of the recess. Groove l which is. nextto groove 6 has its lower end located above the lower end of groove 6. a distance equal to the difference in length between grooves 5 and 6. Groove 8, which is at one side. of groove 1, has its lower end located above the lower end of groove 1 a distance equal to the difference in length between grooves 5' and it or 6 and I. In other words each groove can be shorter than the next groove of the. same group and at one side thereof by a fixed amount, such as one inch. The short groove 8 of each group adjoins. and is, parallel with the long groove of the next adjoining group so that the lower end walls of all of the grooves cooperate to form groupsof stepsvzhich ascend progressively in one direction within the wall of the recess 2.

Fitted within recess 2 is a substantially cylindrical core. 9 having its upper end projecting above the bolster as indicated at. H] to provide a bearing for the usual bearing plate of the car bodyfrom which a king-pin (not shown) is extended. Av central opening I l is provided in core 9 to receive the king-pin and, in order to reduce weight, it is preferred toform the core of a hollow casting as shown.

The core-l is provided, on its circumferential surface with parallel ribs each of which corresponds in transverse size andshape with the transverse size and shape of any one of the grooves in the wall of recess 2, the proportions being such as to permit the ribs to slide readily into and out of the grooves.

The ribs on the core 9 are arranged in groups, the number of these groups corresponding with the number of groups of grooves. Furthermore the ribs of each group are of different lengths. Rib I2 is of a length substantially equal to that of grooves 5. Each rib i3, which is to one side of rib i2 is substantially equal in length to the grooves 5. i Ribs I! which are at one side of rib 13 are equal in length to the grooves 1 While ribs l5, located at one side of ribs M, are of the same length as grooves 8. All of the. ribs on the core are so located that when the core is in its lowermost position, the ribs of all of the groups will extend "to the bottoms of the corresponding grooves in the wall of recess 2.

When it is desired to compensate for excessive play or clearance between the car body and the center of the bolster, the body is jacked up relative to the bolster until the core 9 has been lifted out of recess 2. Said core is then adjusted angularly about its center until the ribs on the core are brought above selected grooves in the wall of the recess. If the body is to be adjusted one inch, for example, relative to the bolster, the core is rotated until the long ribs I2 are positioned in register with the grooves 6. The core is then lowered so that the ribs I2, I3 and I4 will enter the grooves 6, I and 8 while the short ribs I5 will enter the long grooves 5. In this position the ribs I2, I3 and I4 will engage and be supported by the lower end walls of the grooves in which they are located.

Should a two inch adjustment be desired, the core, when raised, would be moved to bring ribs I2 into register with grooves I so that when the core is lowered the lower end walls of grooves I and B will be engaged by and will support the grooves I2 and I3. A similar operation can be followed for efiecting a further adjustment of another inch, as will be apparent. Obviously the extent of the adjustments possible will depend upon the number of ribs and grooves in each group and the difierences in the relative lengths of the ribs and of the grooves.

As is well known to those skilled in the art it is essential that side bearings be provided between the car body and the end portions of the bolster, these bearings forming wiping contacts between the relatively movable parts. Where an adjustable central bearing is used as herein described, it is essential that adjustable side bearings be used. One of these has been shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5.

Each side bearing requires the use of a transverse opening, l6 in the top of the bolster and formed on the bolster at opposite ends of the opening I6, are upwardly extending brackets I'I each of which is provided in its upper end with an angular socket I 8. These sockets not only open upwardly but they also open laterally toward each other. They are adapted to receive the angular ends of a cross bar l9 which bridges the opening I6 and is formed with integral radial wings 20, 2I, 22 and 23. These wings, which are preferably hollow, are enlarged at their outer ends to provide heads 24 and in each head, at its ends, are located attaching plates 25. The number of wings are equal to the number of ribs in each group on core 9 and each wing is of a length different from that of the other wings. For example the difference in length between wings and 2| can be substantially equal to the difierence in length between ribs I2 and I3 and this same difference in length is provided be tween wings 2| and 22 and between wings 22 and 23. The ends of bar I9 are so shaped that they will hold said bar against rotation when said ends are seated in sockets I8 with any one of the wings extending upwardly.

For the purpose of receiving wear, there is providedv a shoe 26 in the form of a hard plate adapted to fit snugly on the flat surface of any one of the heads 24 and this shoe, which extends throughout the length of the head to which it is applied, has end flanges 21 adapted to lap ghetsgtgaching plates 25 and to be held thereto by After the core 9 has been adjusted as heretofore explained so as to compensate for the play or clearance between the bolster and the car body, and before the body has been lowered relative to the bolster, bar I9 is lifted from the sockets I8 and rotated until the proper wing has been brought to upstanding position to substantially compensate for the play or clearance between the end of the bolster and the body. Shoe 26 is then fastened to the uppermost head 24 and, when the body is lowered, the core 9 will not only move to its seat as heretofore explained, but the car body will be brought to position onto the adjusted side bearing.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a bolster having a recess, there being duplicate groups of parallel grooves in the wall of the recess, each group including a long groove and shorter grooves, each of the shorter grooves of the group terminating at its lower end above the lower end of the next adjoining longer groove in the same group, of a core adjustably seated in the recess and mounted for withdrawal therefrom, and ribs on the core corresponding with and adapted to be seated within the grooves.

2. The combination with a bolster having a recess extending downwardly thereinto and parallel grooves in the wall of the recess disposed in like groups, the lower ends of the grooves of each group being located to form steps ascending progressively in one direction within the recess, of a king-pin-engaging core removably seated in the recess and having ribs thereon disposed in groups corresponding with and adapted to be seated in the grooves.

3. The combination with a bolster, of a bearing member removably supported thereby, said member being mounted for angular adjustment relative to the bolster when removed therefrom, and cooperating parallel stepped means on said member and bolster for holding the member in any position to which it may be adjusted angularly when the member is replaced in the bolster, said member being adjustable angularly and movable to held position to bring the upper portion of the member to a selected elevation above the bolster and the parallel stepped means into position to transmit thrust between the bolster and member along parallel lines extending longitudinally of said means.

4. The combination with a bolster member having a recess, of a king-pin-engaging core member in the recess, a series of annularly spaced ribs of different lengths carried by one member, said series including a long rib and shorter ribs, each of the shorter ribs having its lower end above the lower end of the next adjoining longer rib, and a series of grooves carried by the other member and proportioned and relatively positioned like the ribs, the lower end of said ribs and grooves cooperating to transmit thrust between the members longitudinally of the ribs and to adjustably support one of the members.

HARVEY H. SHAFF'ER. 

